Warrington's Young Thirds Stand Up To League-Leaders' Challenge

Warrington 3RD XV 7 Glossop 2nd XV 26
Warrington’s young third team came up against the might of Glossop 2nd and it says something for their grit and determination that the heavyweight league leaders could manage to enter the Warrington 22 only five times throughout the game. However, they used their formidable pack to trundle over for tries on four of these occasions. Three of these tries came in the first half so that the sides turned round with the home side enjoying a 19-0 lead.

The introduction of veteran Kev Jones at stand-off and the welcome return of flanker John McGill after a long absence ensured an even second half, with both sides notching up a try. Brothers Fred and Zak Nichols excelled in the line-outs and provided gritty resistance in the close encounters, while hooker Matt Bayliss led the pack ruthlessly. Eventually, this never-say-die attitude paid dividends when back row, and man-of-the-match Dan Reid took a pass from the ageless Kev Jones and rounded the full back with ease to score the try of the match, converted by Cameron McNeil. Glossop had the last word with another bulldozed try, but every Warrington player was rightly proud of a game which they both contested and enjoyed.

‘Considering the relative positions in the table, this was an excellent performance from a very young side,” said captain Tony Fretwell. “We should probably have kicked more to relieve pressure but this is all part of a learning curve for some excellent young players who are making the transition from Colts Rugby to Senior Rugby.”